The Detroit Tigers are at least listening to potential Tarik Skubal trade offers, and two teams appear to be emerging as the most interested suitors.
The Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers have both had talks with the Tigers regarding Skubal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale cautions that a Skubal trade is viewed as a “longshot” and it sounds like the Tigers are doing their due diligence.
The asking price on a Skubal trade is thought to be very high. For instance, Nightengale suggests that former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday, the consensus top prospect in all of baseball, might have to be the centerpiece of any package Baltimore offers.
Skubal has emerged as a favorite for the AL Cy Young this season, and he would not be a free agent until after the 2026 season. That makes the left-hander, who is still just 27, even more valuable. In addition, the Tigers had won 10 of their last 12 games before losing Sunday, a run that got them back into the fringes of the AL Wild Card race at six games out.
Skubal has posted a 2.41 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 116 innings of work this season. As good as he is, the Tigers’ reluctance to deal him may force teams to target someone potentially more attainable prior to the July 30 trade deadline.
